Eric Valent (born April 4, 1977 in La Mirada, California) is a Major League Baseball player. He currently plays on the Portland Beavers, the AAA affiliate for the San Diego Padres. He has played for the New York Mets from 2004-2005. Previously, Valent played for the Philadelphia Phillies (2001-02) and Cincinnati Reds (2003). He bats and throws left handed. Valents seems to flourish in the Minor League envrionment and is said to be content with his situation. Valent provides good power from the left side of the plate. A solid pinch-hitter and valuable utilityman, he is a competent first baseman who can play either left or right field effectively. He has a strong arm with great accuracy on his throws.
On July 29, 2004, Valent became the eighth player in Mets history to hit for the cycle in a game against the Montreal Expos. He also posted three pinch-hit home runs in late August.
In a four-season career, Valent is a .240 hitter with 13 home runs and 36 RBI in 177 games.
